IN JAMAICA: Spare The Rod! UN Committee Calls For Law To Prevent Parents From Slapping Children following a visit and presentation by a Jamaican delegation to its meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, three weeks ago WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer Published: Sunday | February 8, 2015 

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is urging Jamaica to pass a law to abolish corporal punishment.

flogging

The body considers corporal punishment to be violence against children and made the recommendation for a full ban in the final report on Jamaica, following a visit and presentation by a Jamaican delegation to its meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, three weeks ago.

The committee was responding to concerns on corporal punishment contained in a report submitted by local human-rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ).

Lisa Hanna

"Corporal punishment is still highly prevalent in Jamaica. Reports of child abuse are alarmingly common, yet there has been insufficient action at the legislative and policy level to combat this," said the JFJ.

"Article 19 of the [UN Convention on the Rights of the Child] stipulates that children have the right to be protected from all forms of violence ...,"noted JFJ. more